Many longtime Market Basket shoppers have said they've been shocked at prices they're paying at competitors while boycotting what was once their favorite grocery store.

How much more are they paying, exactly?

A recent study by the website Consumers' Checkbook compared Market Basket to seven competitors and found that the Tewksbury-based chain was the cheapest over all.

When comparing typical items by national brands, Market Basket was found to be 10 to 21 percent cheaper than Stop & Shop and 22 percent cheaper than Shaw's. It even narrowly beat Walmart, whose Supercenter stores include grocery sections known for their affordability.

Market Basket also beat Trader Joe's, which generally offers only its own in-house brand, which are typically cheaper than private labels.

The Consumers' Checkbook study looked at prices for a combination of standard grocery items. For Market Basket, the total came to $81.

Among its closest competitors, Stop & Shop cost $90 or $103, depending on which of two stores were tested. Two Shaw's stores came in at $101 and $106. Those two chains were the most expensive.

Hannaford's groceries cost $94, and Walmart Supercenter was the second lowest over all, at $82.

Two wholesale retailers, BJ's and Costco, were not included in the study.

A boycott of Market Basket reached a 13th day on Wednesday, with no new information from the chain's board of directors. The board is considering multiple offers for the company, including one from Arthur T.

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